Lockheed T-33A-1-LO Shooting Star ‘54439 / WI’ (55-4439)

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Lockheed T-33A-1-LO Shooting Star ‘54439 / WI’ (55-4439)
Lockheed T-33A-1-LO Shooting Star ‘54439 / WI’ (55-4439)

c/n 580-9883
Built in 1956 as a T-33A-1-LO with the US military serial 55-4439. Delivered directly to the French Air Force where she served as 54439 until retired in January 1978. She was flown to RAF Sculthorpe for storage and then moved by road to Sunderland in June 1979. She remained on display at what became the North East Land, Sea & Air Museum (NELSAM) until January 2020 when she moved to the South Wales Aviation Museum.
St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK
12th June 2021

The following detailed history for ‘54439’ is from the very informative NELSAM website (her former home):-

“T-33A 55-4439 was delivered to France in 1956 with the Section de Laison et Vol Sans Visibilite, (Communications and Instrument Rating Flight) of 13 Escarde de Chasse (EC) at Lahr in Germany. EC.13 was at that time receiving F-86K Sabres, but returned to France to Colmar in April 1957. At an unknown date (probably 1962), '4439 was transferred to the SLVSV of EC.7 at Metz, where it was coded '7-DE'.
During the late Sixties it was with the SLVSV of EC.2 coded '2-HE', based at Dijon and from there on to the instrument rating school, 338 Centre d'Entrainment en Vols Sans Visibilitie at Nancy coded '338-HB'.
By late 1972 it had moved to the Strategic Bomber OCU, 328 Centre d'Instruction des Forces Ariennes Strategiques, flying with that units third squadron, Escadron de Transformation ed d'Instruction 3/328 with the code 'WI'. During this time, it was used for training at the 328 CIFAS base at Bordeaux, but also detached from time to time to various Mirage bomber squadrons for use as a 'Hack'. '4439 was eventually retired from active service and flown to Sculthorpe, England on 25th January 1978 for disposal. On 5th June 1979 it was dismantled and transported to Sunderland for NEAM.”

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Taken on: June 12, 2021
Sets appears in:   • South Wales Aviation Museum, St Athan. 12-6-2021    • Lockheed T-33 & P-80   
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Camera: Nikon D5500, f/3.5, 1/40 sec, 20mm (=30mm), ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Nikon D5500
Aperture: f/3.5
Exposure Time: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Focal Length: 20mm (35mm equivalent: 30mm)
ISO: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Gain Control: Low gain up
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 14.0 (Windows)
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